Emotionally healthy spirituality (EHS) invites us to supervise and lead others, volunteer or paid, differently.
Studies indicate that EQ (emotional quotient) is so critical that it accounts for 58% of performance in all types of jobs (Emotional Intelligence 2.0). EHS, with a much deeper commitment to transformation, accounts for a much higher percentage. In fact, emotional health trumps IQ, personality, education, experience, and gifts for church leaders. For example:
- John is a gifted, productive church planter, but the chaotic nature of his family of origin in his early history drives him to dominate and control every environment where he leads.
- Joan is so cautious and fearful of change as an executive assistant (coming out of her abuse growing up) that it colors the events she administers.
- Ron’s anxiety to grow the church and launch new initiatives comes partially out of a family script that says, “You are worthless unless you do something great.”
We don’t simply train people in skills and insights to do their role better. We engage their genograms (their family histories going back 3-4 generations) so that Christ can rewrite their scripts and free them. In getting free themselves, then they are able to free others.